Here is link to a video which blew me away. Aside from the fact that it is absolutely one of the most brilliant things I have seen in a long time, its message is mine verbatim: We need to understand how we are wired and rewire ourselves so that we can have an “Empathic Civilization.”

It is a ten minute video which I know seems very long to many of you, but I cannot emphasize enough that it will be worth your time. This video essentially summarizes many of my prior blogs in a fun, creative and succinct ways. Please check it out.

5 Comments on “Empathic Civilization”

It’s a great video, kind of addictive, and covers an incredible amount of material quickly. His book is 688 pages, so 10 minutes of video is perhaps the least amount of time you could expect!

He describes the first drive of a human being as “the drive to belong,” saying that we’re “soft-wired” for compassion, empathy, etc. as opposed to “hard wired” for aggression, competition, etc. And I understand but quibble a bit with the argument … we have a lot of different kinds of neurons and our brains are fabulously complicated. In some ways, we are soft-wired for almost everything, really. If we don’t feel we belong, we can become reactive to that, even to the point of refusing to “belong” …

Still, he only had 10 minutes and you get the feeling that this would be a fun conversation to have with the guy.

Joanne

16 July, 2010,

Wow — that was fast. Very interesting, amazing and thought provoking. Will provide for interesting conversation this weekend. I wonder is some are wired to be more empathetic than others or if it is external factors.

ronit

18 July, 2010,

Joanne – We are definitely born with a predisposition for empathy, much like we are born with predispositions for art, math, etc. What’s cool is that even if an individual is born with less capacity for empathy, parents can actually rewire this in the child through role modeling and transmitting values through discipline and games. This is why this work is so important. We really do have the power to rewire our own and our children’s brains. What we need now is the knowledge and the tools to implement it.

David Hersey

19 July, 2010,

I love this video! It really shows the opportunity we have at this moment in history to consciously evolve our own “software” to create the next generation of our species!

Fabulous video!! We are forming a global drum beat for Hope, Empathy and Compassion! Here is my contribution to that beat….Divine love and divine compassion is the only way out. Love and compassion are the transformative energies that will melt the Dragon within. Divine compassion does not judge, does not see others as isolated islands unto their own making. Compassion sees the sad reflection of what fear can produce and create. Love and compassion will shatter the illusions of separation within and with out… with this shattering there will no longer be refuge in judgment, control, or dominance but there will no longer be the desire nor need for these protectors either. The individual jouney to the center of ones own compassionate heart is arduous and the rewards are beyond words and extend accross worlds. Louise Kenny, LCSW